Professional Learning Communities are an important means toward the goal of improving schools so that students can learn at high levels. Professional Learning Communities, when well-implemented, have a laser-focus on learning, work collaboratively, and hold themselves accountable for results. In this article, the central concept of…

Despite the central role "evidence-based practice" (EBP) plays in special education agendas for both research and policy, it is widely recognized that achieving "implementation" of EBPs remains an elusive goal. In an effort to better understand this problem, we interviewed special education practitioners in four school…

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been gaining in popularity, especially within the context of STEM-based (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) schools. Program assessments for these schools typically focus on student standardized test scores rather than the needs of the teachers. This study utilized anecdote circles, storytelling via…

The purpose of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of teacher induction in the state of Colorado. The guiding question for the study was "What components do Colorado school districts include as part of their beginning teacher induction?" The study examined the implementation of nine teacher induction components: orientation,…

In Fall 2016, bilingual specialists were hired in the Austin Independent School District to provide support to campuses implementing the re-designed dual language program. This report summarizes the services provided by these specialists to administrators, campus staff, and teachers in Fall 2016.

In this article we share how a district-level technology integration specialist used literature on implementing student response systems (SRS) for formative assessment, based on Desimone's (2009) core features of professional development design, Guskey's Levels of Professional Development Evaluation (1998, 2000, 2002), and Danielson's Observation…

This research study investigated whether the effects of response to intervention impacted student achievement in a rural virtual high school, as well as sought to determine staff perceptions of the efficacy of the implementation of RTI within the school. The researcher used both quantitative and qualitative analysis to effectively answer the…

The WISE Report from the Clayton Christensen Institute explores perspectives on the blended learning process through the institute's comprehensive surveys of the three countries. This report touches on a number of school-based efforts to implement educational technology, focusing on whether, and how, a sample of brick-and-mortar schools in Brazil,…

Professional development courses that focus on increasing knowledge and improving skill sets are an integral part of a medical imager's career. This study was a qualitative formative evaluation with purposeful sampling of participants in a professional development webinar course offered to medical imaging professionals in 35 Latin American and…

The integration of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) into America's schools has radically changed education, especially among students with learning disabilities. The implementation of the common core questions the policy-making context as well as the institutional variables of social justice and equity for students with disabilities.…

This brief is one in a series highlighting state policies, regulations, practices, laws, or other tools intended to create the necessary conditions for school and/or district turnaround. Each brief includes an overview of the relevant turnaround tool, its development process, its impact, and lessons learned that could assist other education…

The purpose of the present study was to extend previous research by evaluating the effect of the interdependent group contingency procedure known as the Good Behavior Game (GBG) on decreasing disruptive behaviors with general-education high school students. Although many studies exist that have used the GBG to alter behaviors across ages ranging…

In this paper, Leading Educators and the Aspen Institute propose a roadmap to empower teachers to lead from the front of the classroom. This paper outlines key phases that system administrators will need to consider as they build teacher leadership systems that address their highest priorities. For each phase, the Aspen Institute offers a…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether professional development and collaboration practices are affected by performance pay in schools. The study investigated the differences in perceptions of principals, veteran teachers, and beginning teachers. Six questions and statements were posed relating to both professional development and…

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a scientifically-based framework for developing curricula that acknowledges learner diversity as a function of human variability. While it is possible to implement UDL without advanced technologies, it is easier and more efficient to provide multiple means of engagement, representation, and action/expression…